Here's a thought on sore nipples that hasn't been mentioned yet. I've never
read about it but then I had this experience...
First trimester of pregnancy and a BF 3 year old... Now after BF the 3 y/o
for 3 years, I did not have much sensation in my nipples. She could latch on
and I wouldn't even know unless I looked down. We could BF in just about any
position without any problem (RE sore nipples). Within a week or two of
becoming pregnant, what excruciating nipple pain with latch on!!! Yes, my
toes definitely curled for about 5-10 seconds at the beginning. Then the
pain would decrease. The intense latch-on pain basically went away after the
1st trimester, but there is still some tenderness. This is the discomfort I
experienced just after her birth for the 1st week or so (and had basically
forgotten about).
Now, obviously positioning can be crucial with sore niples (prevention and
treatment). But, if there's is no nipple damage, just intense but relatively
brief latch-on pain, I would like to hypothesize a HORMONAL cause. Why could
I breastfeed without any pain (even, hardly an awareness of the child being
at the breast) for months/years and then jump for the chandelier as soon as
my hormones made a huge change?!? And then, said pain significantly
diminishes as the hormones change through pregnancy?!?
I think that if my hypothesis is true, it might be reassuring to new mothers
who are having sore nipples (once other causes are ruled out, of course) to
know that the pain is just one of the many hormonal changes of
pregnancy/labor/delivery. This pain will resolve in a week or two once her
hormones from pregnancy start decreasing.
Rather than just saying that she is over-sensitive to pain (maybe true) or
her nipples must *get used to it* (may be true, too). I agree that we just
don't know enough about WHY nipples get sore (other than
infection/positioning, etc.)
Anyone else out there have similar experiences/thoughts?
Mari Douma, DO, FACOP, FAAP
Michigan State University
Lansing, MI
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